Machine for cutting flexible material



Sept 6,1932.

G. COLEMAN 1,875,852

MACHINE'FOR CUTTING FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Filed Jan. 24, 19.50

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. COLEMAN MACHINE FOR VQUT'TING FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Filed Jan. 24, 1930 Sept. 6, 19.32.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 6, 1932 GEORGE COLEMAN, or EAST LYNN, MASsAoIiU'sEra'S, assIGNon 'ro GREGORY; READ 7 COMPANY, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A conronarron pr; MAssAcHUsErTsj- MACHINE FOR CUTTING: FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Application filed January 24,1930, Serial n faaa'ow.

The present invention relates to machines for cutting flexible material.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine for cutting flexible material in a single operation in any desired contour and with a beveled edge.

With this object in view the principal feature of the invention comprises an apparatus whereby the material is stamped or died out by a knife. The inner portion of the blank is supported while the outer portions thereof are left free in the path of the knife. As the knife descends into cutting engagement with the blank it bends the free edges over the support thereby cutting through the blank on a surface which when the blank is restored to flat condition, is beveled.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe sole provided with a tab cut and beveled according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the sole shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of so much of the stamping machine as is necessary to an understanding of the present invention, being a section on line 33 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4 is an elevation partly in section of the machine shown in Fig. 3.

Although the present invention is useful for cutting any flexible material of any desired contour with a beveled edge, the invention is herein described as embodied in a machine for forming a beveled heel tab on a shoe sole. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the sole 6 is provided with a heel tab 8 which has a beveled edge 10. The tab is adapted to fit in the concave seat of a Louis heel. The blank is first cut to the original contour shown by the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 2 by any suitable method and is then skived and channelled and finally split to form the breast flap 11 whereupon the heel end is ready for the formation of the tab 8.

The machine for forming the tab 8 is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and comprises a stationary bed 12 and a vertically movable cutter 14. The cutter is supported on a sliding head 16 which is adapted to be moved toward the bed to efiect the cutting operation. The cutter is. of the same contour as thetab 8 and is provided with a'sharpened cutter edge 17 to sever'the blank. (Mounted onthe bedv 12 is a blanksup'port 18 which is of some'what less area than that of the tab 8 and adaptedto support the inner portion of the tab while the knlfe is cutting through the blank. The support 18 is of smoothly rounded form in order topermitthe edges of the flexible blank to fold over it as the cutter strikes. In a cutting operation, the blank is held with its inner portions supported by the support 18, the edges being free in the path of the cutter.

As the cutter descends, it engages with the upper surface of the blank, bends the free edge portions over the support, and forces the edge portions into contact with the bed 12. Upon continued movement of the cutter,

the blank is severed as shown in Fig. 4. The I. I

inclination of the edge portions, brought about by their being bent over the support 18, determlnes the bevel. Although the surface actually cut by the knife is parallel to the elements of the cutter, when the blank is removed from the machine and pressed flat, it presents the decided bevel shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A gage indicated generally at 20 is provided for positioning the blank preparatory. to the cutting operation. The gage comprises a U-shaped positioning plate 22 which is supported above the bed of the machine at the level of the blank to be cut. The plate 1s mounted on an arm 24 which is secured to a bracket 26 by a wing nut 28 The bracket has alongitudinal slot 30 within which the wing nut may slide. The gage is held in proper vertical position by a pin 32 adjustably secured to the arm 24 and received in the slot 30. The bracket 26 is suitably secured to a standard 34. The bracket is provided with a scale 36 cooperating with a fixed indicatlng point 38 on the movable arm 24.

To facilitate centering of the blank, the gage plate 22 is formed with an indicating mark In operation, the blank is placed against the gage plate as shown in Fig. 3, the center the into engagement with the bed 12 in the usual manner of stamping machines, thereby cutting out the tab 8 of the desired contour and with the beveled edge. In order to facilitate the action of bepding the blank around the edge of the support, especially when the blankisofheavy. material such as sole leather, it isdesirable to soften the material by moistening it.

claimedisi, o 7

A machine for cutting a tab on a leather sole comprising a flat bed,a cutter "having side portions and wing portions extended sidewise from the side portions, means for relatively moving the cutter and bed, and a rounded support for the tab between the side portions only of the cutter and. of 7 smaller area than the tab to leave the edges of the'tab unsupported, and to cause the side portions of the cutter to make abevel cut. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

'- GEORGE COLEMAN. V

Having described the invention, what is. 

